


In the Rain

by LadyKae



Series: My Miraculous One Shots and Shorts [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Feelings Realization, Fluff, Gen, It's all about realizing the feels, No Spoken Dialogue, Rain, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24338032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKae/pseuds/LadyKae
Summary: Chat Noir focused on the feeling of the rain drops rolling from his mask to his skin, carving invisible trails through his golden locks and against his scalp. He remembered how Marinette confided in him that she fell in love in the rain some years ago. His name was the only secret she kept from him, though he’d offered more than once to be her wingman. A small grin crossed his face at the memory.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: My Miraculous One Shots and Shorts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736878
Comments: 46
Kudos: 244





	In the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Here's another one shot for y'all! I rather enjoyed writing this, as I'm a sucker for when guys finally realize their feels. Hope you all enjoy!

_**Pit-pat pit-pat pit-pat**. _

The rain was soothing to him. He wasn’t sure what it was about it, but it settled his soul when he was confused and overwhelmed. He turned his face up to the falling drops, allowing them to splash unhindered against his cheeks and brow. They were warm against his skin, lulling his body into a calm that he wanted his mind to match. If he wanted that, however, he had work to do.

Chat Noir focused on the feeling of the rain drops rolling from his mask to his skin, carving invisible trails through his golden locks and against his scalp. He remembered how Marinette confided in him that she fell in love in the rain some years ago. His name was the only secret she kept from him, though he’d offered more than once to be her wingman. A small grin crossed his face at the memory. 

It figured she was at the forefront of his thoughts despite being the source of his inner turmoil.

He recognized that Marinette’s admission changed something in him. Chat accepted that Ladybug was never going to return his feelings years ago and for his own sanity, he stopped holding onto the hope she ever would. He started visiting Marinette more often after that, wanting to know her better in the hope that it would banish the loneliness his life foisted upon him. It worked and it reaped the benefits in his civilian life, as it allowed her to have a conversation with him without her getting tongue tied or spazzy-flustered at the first hint of his presence. Chat was confident that he knew her better than Alya did, the only unknown being that boy’s name. Coincidentally, he was sure that was the only thing Alya had over him. 

His green eyes opened to the grey skies above with a silent plea for understanding. Marinette was one of his best friends, both in and out of the mask. She understood both Chat Noir and Adrien to a degree that no one else did, not even Ladybug. He felt at ease in her presence, felt that he could truly be himself and not be held to the standards that oppressed him. Marinette was the one that gave him the courage to discover who Adrien was at his core, his likes and dislikes, and his innermost thoughts and dreams. He encouraged her to do the same, though she already knew what her passion and future goals were. She inspired him to figure out what those were for himself as well. He could admit with pride that he wanted to step out of the modeling spotlight and mold the young minds of tomorrow in his favorite subject. She provoked so many things within him. Emotions, thoughts, brief daydreams of a future. For the life of him, Chat could not envision any sort of future where he didn’t know her, wasn’t at her side. Would they continue to be just friends?

Chat bristled as his heart ached at the term. He hated that fact, that phrase with a passion. That it was all he had viewed Marinette as while he was stuck on Ladybug. Yet both of them had found solace in each other, saddened by their unrequited loves. He let his love go so he could find happiness. Marinette had yet to release herself from that cycle. Chat felt his brow furrow as his chest tightened again at all the times he referred to her as his friend. 

It was nothing more than an empty phrase, Chat knew there was more there, something deeper. What it was though, he was trying to figure that out. A fresh spray of rain coated his face as Chat took a deep breath, reviewing his own behavior and thought processes when it came to the raven haired beauty. He enjoyed making Marinette smile and laugh, he listened to her when she had grievances to air. They had their fair share of arguments over the years, but they always came back, both bearing tearful apologies and forgiveness. Their relationship was always left stronger than it was before. 

Then why did the feeling of knowing she loved someone else eat at him?

His eyes slipped closed as he immersed himself in the feeling of the rain again. The suit rippled over his skin, Plagg’s way of showing his displeasure at getting wet. All he had were questions. Questions that wouldn’t stop turning over and over in his mind.

Would her unnamed crush do the same things for her, things that Chat himself had done all this time? 

Did he know her as well as Chat did? 

Would this mystery man love her and protect her as fiercely as Chat would, without question?

Thunder rumbled above him as his eyes snapped open.

Love her?

Oh.

Shock from the revelation washed over him, and Chat’s head moved automatically to look in the direction the bakery lay in, clear cross the city. 

Did he love Marinette? 

Her happiness mattered to him, more than his own on both sides of the mask. Her laugh was music to his ears, and him being the cause of it made his chest feel light. He prided himself in making her smile, truly smile, to where her eyes lit up and she gave him a fond glance. He enjoyed the confident and spunky young woman for who she was, one he found could go toe to toe with him in a pun battle. She was intelligent. She was oh so talented in so many ways. More importantly, she was courageous when it mattered. Marinette didn’t stand for any sort of injustice and would endeavor to set things to rights. She was beautiful, inside and out. Her kindness knew no bounds.

Another peel of thunder from above sent his heart into a breakneck pace.

**_Oooooooh_ **!

A smile spread across his face, his eyes alight with joy in the conclusion of his self-reflection. It was fitting it was raining, for it was a day like this when he first felt the spark of something for her, in that moment when he’d given her his umbrella when they were thirteen. At first, he thought it was just the joy of making a connection with someone, in making his first friend on his own. That feeling was different with everyone else, none of the other friendships he made ever matched that electric zing when their hands first touched. If he hadn’t been so blinded by Ladybug, he would have realized, years sooner, just how hard he’d fallen for the designer. Chat was on his feet in that instant, extending his baton to vault over the rooftops towards Rue Gotlib.

His long legs made great strides as the distance to her grew shorter. More importantly than his confession, he would need to tell Marinette his real identity. Chat refused to lie to someone he loved. He was burning to tell her now, needed to know if there was a chance she felt the same regardless of the crush she had on the other guy. It was to that thought he slid to a stop atop the roof where he’d set up that romantic date for Ladybug years ago, his mind whirling.

He was back in this position. Again! Only this time, a niggling feeling was telling him to go full throttle, that everything would turn out the way it was meant to. But Chat knew this time, this time he needed to take it slower. A rash confession would only lead to heartbreak again. Not this time, not if he had something to say about it. He learned his lesson from Ladybug about pursuing someone on this side of the mask.

Chat smirked as he looked through her window from the distance he was at, leaning nonchalantly against the railing. Marinette was in a design phase right now, if her position in front of a mannequin was anything to go off of. Was she draping? Or was she piecing everything together after drawing out her templates? How long had she been working? Was she ready for a break?

Could he hold himself back if he stopped by now?

No. No, he wouldn’t be able to. Chat would give into the temptation to tell her his identity before the time was right. He wasn’t rushing in this time. He needed to do this right, needed to slow down and plan his approach. His impetuousness was what wrought the downfall of his chances with Ladybug after all. He wouldn’t be able to date Marinette as Chat, which meant wooing her as Adrien. On the upside though, his being Chat Noir gave him the invaluable advantage of knowing the things she’d like. Things that he knew would mean the most to her. Come hell or high water, he was going to make sure he gave as much effort into courting Marinette as he did Ladybug.

Smirking to himself, he knew exactly where to get started though.

**Author's Note:**

> By the way, it was left open ended on purpose. I'm really considering turning this into a multi-chap drabble. If you guys want more, let me know!


End file.
